AI-assisted summary
• Deion Sanders has been rebuilding his roster after a 3-9 season, securing 42 commitments from transfer players.
• Sanders confirmed his relationship with actress Karrueche Tran on the Season 2 debut of his talk show.
• Sanders uses his streaming talk show as a unique recruiting tool to connect with potential players and their families.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has kept a relatively low public profile since his third season in Boulder ended five consecutive losses and a 3-9 record. Unlike last January, after his team finished 9-4, he isn’t rumored to be in the mix to coach an NFL team and didn’t go on television talk shows to promote his reality TV series.

Sanders instead has been building his next roster behind the scenes but finally showed up on camera on Thursday Jan. 22 to share some news about his love life and give a summary of his recruiting efforts in Boulder. Sanders did this during the Season 2 debut of his streaming talk show “We Got Time Today,” co-hosted by Rocsi Diaz.

“This offseason has been treating me really well,” Sanders said. “We’re tearing it up in the (transfer) portal. We’re building something extraordinary, extra ordinary, extraordinary. And I’m feeling so darn good. Rocs, I hadn’t felt this good in quite some time. Like, really, like, like my hands, and I don’t even have a manicure like I usually do, because I got to go get it tomorrow, by the way. But I’m good. I got my hands in and on everything.”

Sanders recently received commitments from 42 incoming transfer players, offsetting more than 35 Colorado players who are transferring out, including star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton. Colorado’s transfer class ranks No. 22 nationally, according to 247Sports.  

Deion Sanders opens up about love life

Diaz later prodded Sanders, 58, about his relationship with actress and influencer Karrueche Tran, who has been at his side during his battle back from bladder cancer surgery last year. Sanders previously hasn’t commented much about it publicly after an announced breakup with longtime fiancée Tracey Edmonds in December 2023. Diaz traced Sanders’ new relationship with Tran to her appearance during Season 1 of their Tubi show in November 2024.

“Can we set the record straight?” Diaz asked Sanders. “I did not hook you two up. I had no parts in hooking y’all up. Everybody thinks that, you know, I had my hand in it. But she (Tran) did come to the show for my birthday. And you so slick. You brought her there for my birthday, but you secretly wanted to shoot your shot.”

“First of all, my shot don’t miss,” Sanders replied. “And I didn’t have to bring somebody there to shoot a shot at close range. My shot, you know, I’m pretty darn good.”

“Y’all look very cute together,” Diaz said. “I’m super happy for you guys.”

“You know what?” Sanders said. “Good woman, good person, has added so much to my life and my days and my moments. And I’m smiling.”

Deion Sanders recruiting through talk show?

Season 1 of the show debuted in November 2024, raising questions about how Sanders had time to host a weekly entertainment talk show in the middle of his team’s push to win a Big 12 Conference championship.

Diaz asked him about it then. Sanders responded it part of his recruiting strategy – to reach potential recruits and their families in ways that other coaches can’t.

“Well, this is like a form of recruiting for me, because a lot of the parents are … our viewers with Tubi,” Sanders said then.

Incidentally, the month of January is mostly a “contact” period on the college football recruiting calendar when head coaches can make in-person contact with potential recruits off-campus. Sanders doesn’t do that kind of off-campus recruiting, but his reach through shows like this connect with an audience in the larger culture. His guests on his Season 2 debut were comedian Loni Love and music producer Jermaine Dupri.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The College Football Playoff continues to dominate TV viewership ratings.

According to ESPN, Monday’s national championship game between Indiana and Miami averaged 30.1 million viewers across the network’s ‘megacast’ offerings, making it not only the most-watched game of this CFP, but also the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since the Chicago Cubs defeated Cleveland in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.

It’s the second-most-watched national championship game since the CFP started in 2014, and peaked at 33.2 million viewers.

Buy IU championship books, newspapers, gear

The 30.1 million viewers who tuned into Indiana’s 27-21 win over Miami is a notable jump from last year’s national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, which brought in an average of 22.1 million viewers.

Heisman Trophy winner and Miami native Fernando Mendoza provided a critical score for the Hoosiers on Monday with his gutsy 12-yard rushing touchdown on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jamari Sharpe sealed the win for the Hoosiers with an interception of Carson Beck with 44 seconds remaining.

With its win, Indiana completed one of the more remarkable turnarounds in college football history, which began two years ago with Curt Cignetti’s hiring in November 2023. The Hoosiers also joined the 1894 Yale Bulldogs as the only two teams in major college football history to go undefeated with 16-0 records in a single season.

2025-26 College Football Playoff TV ratings

ESPN also released TV viewership numbers for the entire 11-game CFP slate on Wednesday. It mentioned that the second year of the 12-team field brought in an average of 16.3 million viewers, which was a 4% increase from last season.

Surprisingly, both of the national semifinal matchups — Indiana vs. Oregon in the Peach Bowl and Miami vs. Mississippi in the Fiesta Bowl — were not included in the top four most-watched CFP games this season. The Hoosiers’ Peach Bowl win came in at No. 5 (18 million), while the Hurricanes’ Fiesta Bowl win came in at No. 7 (15.8 million), just behind Miami’s first-round win over Texas A&M.

Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of the most-watched games from the 2025-26 College Football Playoff:

1. CFP National Championship (Miami vs. Indiana): 30.1 million
2. CFP Rose Bowl Quarterfinal (Alabama vs. Indiana): 23.9 million
3. CFP Cotton Bowl Quarterfinal (Miami vs. Ohio State): 19.0 million
4. CFP Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal (Ole Miss vs. Georgia): 18.7 million
5. CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal (Oregon vs. Indiana): 18.0 million
6. CFP Orange Bowl Quarterfinal (Oregon vs. Texas Tech): 15.9 million
7. CFP Fiesta Bowl Semifinal (Miami vs. Ole Miss): Ole Miss 15.8 million
8. CFP First Round (Alabama at Oklahoma): 14.9 million
9. CFP First Round (Miami at Texas A&M): 14.8 million
10. CFP First Round (Tulane at Ole Miss): 6.2 million*
11. CFP First Round (James Madison at Oregon): 4.4 million*

* Denotes games that aired on TNT

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One of the most dramatic contract sagas in NWSL history has finally ended.

The Washington Spirit announced on Thursday that star forward Trinity Rodman has re-signed with the team through the 2028 season.

Rodman’s agent told ESPN that the new deal worth more than $1 million per year makes her the highest-paid player in league history and highest-paid female player in the world.

The 23-year-old had been a free agent since her contract expired at the end of 2025. Her return to the NWSL is a significant coup for the league, with multiple European clubs recently reported to be interested in the U.S women’s national team star.

But the Spirit have secured their franchise player, and the NWSL has retained one of the faces of the league amid a period in which several USWNT players have left for Europe.

“I’ve made the DMV my home and the Spirit my family, and I knew this was where I wanted to enter the next chapter of my career,” said Rodman.

“I’m proud of what we’ve built since my rookie season, and I’m excited about where this club is headed. We’re chasing championships and raising the standard, and I can’t wait to keep doing that with my teammates and the best fans in the NWSL.”

The Spirit and Rodman agreed to a multi-year deal last month, but NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman intervened to cancel the star forward’s contract.

According to Bloomberg, Berman rejected the deal because it ‘violated the spirit of the league’ while The Athletic reported that the NWSL believed the contract violated league rules.

The NWSL’s solution to keep Rodman and other star players from leaving for Europe was the High Impact Player rule, which was announced last month.

But the new initiative has proven hugely controversial. The NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) filed a formal grievance earlier this month with the intention of abolishing the rule entirely.

The Spirit selected Rodman second overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft. At 18, she became the youngest player to be drafted into the league at the time.

Rodman burst onto the scene in the NWSL, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award and helping the Spirit to the 2021 NWSL title.

In her five years in the NWSL, Rodman has been named to the NWSL Best XI two times and the Second XI once.

Rodman has also emerged as a fixture with the USWNT, scoring 11 goals in 47 caps and helping the team win a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.

Late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant put on one of the most unfathomable scoring performances in NBA history two decades ago tonight.

Peek-a-boo. 81 points.

Bryant torched the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006 to achieve the second-highest scoring feat ever, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.

He was on a heater. Bryant shot 28-of-46 from the field, including 7-of-13 from deep. He made 18 of his 20 free throw attempts, including the last two with 43.2 seconds left in the game to give him 81 points.

He played 42 minutes.

He scored 26 points in the first half and went off for 55 points in the second half, shattering Elgin Baylor’s team record for points in a game (71).

‘I feel pretty good,’ Bryant said with a smile during his post-game interview in 2006. ‘It hasn’t really sank in yet. We had four days off coming up here. I’d have been sick as a dog if we lost this game. I just wanted to step up and inspire us to play a great game and it turned into something really special.’

Bryant said he never scored that much in a game, not even in elementary school. He went on to say the performance was something that ‘just happened.’

On a day that featured NFL conference championship games, Bryant’s performance overtook the headlines.

Legendary SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott had the right call that night on ESPN:

‘You have to see it to believe it,’ Scott said 20 years ago.

Lakers star LeBron James said, in a older interview, that he ‘watched the whole game.’ Spurs legend Tim Duncan remembers reading Bryant’s 81-point stat line on a ticker. He thought it was a mistake.

Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, at the time, remembered receiving an email about the game on his T-Mobile Sidekick cellphone.

‘I was like, ‘no way,’ ‘ Wade said. ‘I was at a restaurant so I went right and tuned into the TV they had at the restaurant and he had 71 so I watched the rest of it. At that time I think everybody was a fan of Kobe’s to see this is history right here being made. No one’s scoring 80 points in today’s game. Everyone was a fan tuned in, watching his greatness.’

‘It just said ‘Kobe 81,’ ‘ Kyrie Irving reminisced. ‘I just couldn’t believe it.’

Vince Carter thought it had to be a typo at the time. ’81? or 51?’ Carter said. ‘Unbelievable.’

‘Nobody believed it,’ Dirk Nowitzki said.

‘Man, that’s unbelievable,’ Klay Thompson said. ‘That’s crazy. … 81, that’s ridiculous.’

The game became so legendary that his iconic finger to the sky, signaling No. 1 or pointing to the heavens, was used for his statue that sits outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant 81-point game box score

• Points: 81
• FG: 28-for-46
• 3PT: 7-for-13
• Free Throws: 18-for-20
• Rebounds: 6
• Assists: 2
• Steals: 3
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 3
• Fouls: 1
• Minutes: 42

Highlights: Kobe’s 81-point game, 20 years later

Watch every point Bryant scored on his historic night.

A trade in the NBA, perhaps more so than the trades in any other major professional sports league based in North America, can only be examined through the prism of what each organization wanted to accomplish in the transaction. The goals of a contender trying to add another piece for its postseason run are different than a struggling team in the midst of a rebuild. Those opposing missions will define the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

The names of the players and their stats often take a backseat to salary cap ramifications, with contracts that have gone sour and draft assets discussed as much by front offices as the potential stars that could be changing teams. But the rumors leading into the Feb. 5 deadline have fueled conversation throughout the league during the first half of the 2025-26 season, and now we’re approaching their end point.

The Atlanta Hawks already traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the subject of trade speculation since before the Milwaukee Bucks season even began. Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies also could be headed for divorce after multiple reports suggested the team is listening to offers for the point guard for the first time.

They may be the biggest stars on the move, but they aren’t alone. A bevy of well-known players have been mentioned as possible trade candidates in recent weeks. Where they wind up after Feb. 5, if they stay put or get dealt elsewhere, is likely to shake up the NBA playoff race.

Here’s a breakdown of the top candidates potentially available at the 2026 NBA trade deadline and how they rank:

Ranking 2026 NBA trade candidates

Other players to monitor: Ochai Agbaji, Jose Alvarado, Lonzo Ball, Nic Claxton, DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, Keon Ellis, Daniel Gafford, Jerami Grant, De’Andre Hunter, Tyus Jones, Kyle Kuzma, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton, Malik Monk, Jusuf Nurkic, Immanuel Quickley, Chris Paul, Jakob Poeltl, Bobby Portis, Collin Sexton, Dennis Schroder, Anfernee Simons, Jeremy Sochan, Nikola Vucevic, Guerschon Yabusele

10. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Mathurin is a restricted free agent after this season after failing to agree to an extension with the Pacers this past offseason and the team could use him to deal for a frontcourt piece to help offset the loss of Myles Turner. Mathurin has been out with a thumb injury in January, but is nearing a return to action. He’s averaging career highs in points (17.8), rebounds (5.5) and assists (2.2) this season.

9. Kristaps Porzingis, Atlanta Hawks

The veteran center could follow Young out of Atlanta ahead of the deadline with an expiring contract and $30 million salary that could help the Hawks improve their roster around Jalen Johnson with the right deal. But Porzingis has appeared in just 17 games this season, including just five since Thanksgiving, due to illness and a recent Achilles injury.

8. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

It seemed a near-certainty Kuminga would be dealt to a team in search of help on the wing before the deadline after he fell out of Golden State coach Steve Kerr’s rotation and demanded a trade. But the season-ended injury suffered by Jimmy Butler earlier this week could change the Warriors’ strategy with Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $48.5-million contract in October 2025 that includes a team option for next season. Kuminga returned to the lineup for the first time in more than a month on Jan. 20 and finished with 20 points and five rebounds. General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. insinuated earlier this week, when asked about Kuminga’s trade demand by reporters, that there wasn’t much demand for Kuminga on the trade market.

7. R.J. Barrett, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are reportedly looking to upgrade their roster after a strong start to the 2025-26 season and their No. 3 overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft could be the piece Toronto is willing to part with to find another player to team with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Jakob Poeltl and Ochai Agbaji have also been mentioned as possible trade chips.

6. Coby White, Chicago Bulls

The Bulls risk losing White for nothing if they don’t trade him at the deadline since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He’s one of eight unrestricted free agents on Chicago’s roster, with center Nikola Vucevic and guard Ayo Dosunmu among the prime candidates who could also be traded in the coming weeks. White is averaging 18.5 points and 4.6 assists while shooting a career-best 45.9% from the field.

5. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Sabonis just returned from a knee injury and the Kings appear ready to move on from most of the veterans on their roster, including Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Sabonis is more intriguing because he’s younger and more accomplished, but with more term left on his contract and serious defensive limitations that have muted his effectiveness. Sabonis is just a year removed from consecutive all-NBA nods and he averaged more than 19 points, nearly 14 rebounds and more than 7 assists per game over the past two seasons.

4. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Porter has turned into a potential trade deadline asset after taking on a leading role and producing a career year in Brooklyn following an offseason trade from the Nuggets. Porter’s combination of size and shooting would help any contender, much like he did as a role player in Denver during its 2023 NBA title run. He’s averaging 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting better than 39% from 3-point range.

3. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies made clear a couple weeks they were willing to listen to trade offers for Morant after he had been the subject of speculation throughout the first couple months of the NBA season. Morant indicated publicly last week he wants to remain in Memphis, though his departure remains a distinct possibility. Morant’s durability concerns, declining production and significant contract could limit the list of suitors and keep Memphis from moving on from him midseason. But his recent return from injury demonstrated that, when properly motivated, the 26-year-old can still impact NBA games in a major way. If Morant is gone from the Grizzlies, teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. could also become available.

2. Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

Trading Davis got even more complicated for the Mavericks after he recently suffered a hand injury that will sideline him for six weeks. The bright side is Davis will avoid injury and could be available by the postseason for a contender willing to trade for him. His lengthy injury history and contract, with two years and more than $120 million remaining after this season, will limit his suitors. But Davis remains a two-way force inside when healthy and could alter the postseason picture if he’s on the move.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

It’s getting really awkward in Milwaukee, with a breakup between the Bucks and their star seemingly inevitable even if neither side wants to be the one to say it out loud. The Bucks are struggling, Antetokounmpo is frustrated and the team is reportedly looking to add help at the trade deadline in hopes of convincing him to stay. He has one year left on his contract after this season, so waiting to make a trade until the offseason is an option. But if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out of Milwaukee over the next few weeks, teams will be lining up to try to acquire him.

In last week’s NHL power rankings, the question posed was when the next domino would fall – and we got our answer with Rasmus Andersson going to the Golden Knights and Kiefer Sherwood going to the Sharks.

The Olympic trade freeze is in just two weeks, and serving as the NHL’s unofficial trade deadline, perhaps more deals will come.

The upside to making the deal now rather than after the break is that it allows players to settle in with their new teams for a few weeks before play resumes.

On the other hand, given the plethora of injuries this season, perhaps the Olympic break will give teams a better idea of which players are available and where their roster stands when everyone is healthy.

In this week’s NHL power rankings, we take a look at one player from each team who could be on the move.

1. Colorado Avalanche (34-5-9, +77. Previous Rank: 1)

Victor Olofsson hasn’t really delivered on the promise of scoring goals, and he seems the most obvious player to ship out as part of a package if the Avs load up at the deadline.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (31-13-4, +49. PR: 2)

The Lightning will likely focus on acquiring players with plenty of experience to aid their Cup run, which means it might cost a younger player such as Jack Finley or Conor Geekie.

3. Detroit Red Wings (31-16-4, +5. PR: 5)

Steve Yzerman has spent years building this team, and the reality is that not all prospects will work out. Perhaps now is the moment to trade the prospects who haven’t quite panned out, such as Elmer Soderblom, and give the opportunities to a younger prospect in the Red Wings’ pipeline.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (31-15-4, +28. PR: 6)

No doubt the Canes want to shed Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s contract, but the issue is that nobody else wants to take it. The Canes may have to retain salary to elicit a trade, but they have a reputation for being cost-conscious. It was funny when they made the offer sheet to spite the Habs, but it’s the Habs who are definitely laughing now.

5. Buffalo Sabres (27-17-5, +10. PR: 9)

Alex Tuch was a Sabres fan growing up, but a potentially massive raise may price him out of the Sabres’ cap, and they have plenty of young forwards ready to step in. The Sabres might be better off keeping him around for the playoff run, though that also means they could lose him for nothing.

6. Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7, +5. PR: 7)

Patrik Laine hasn’t really been given a chance to see if he fits – he’s only played 57 games with them, including just five this season – but the Habs seem to be doing fine without him. The issue is Laine’s onerous $8.7 million cap hit.

7. Minnesota Wild (28-14-9, +17. PR: 3)

Unless the Wild are getting an excellent top-six center, trading Jesper Wallstedt seems like a huge risk, though Bill Guerin doesn’t shy away from them. Could it be more prudent to dangle a prospect such as David Jiricek, who’s been unable to find much ice time?

8. Dallas Stars (28-13-9, +28. PR: 4)

It’s hard to see the Stars entering the playoffs without Jason Robertson on their roster. He’s been a big piece of their offense, and the Stars need to get back someone who can at least replicate or better Robertson’s impact. It seems more likely this gets resolved in the summer, and perhaps there will be more suitors at that time.

9. Vegas Golden Knights (24-12-12, +14. PR: 10)

Being a first-round pick usually means the team envisions them being key pieces for years to come, but being a first-round pick of the Knights means you’re going to get traded. Among them, only Trevor Connelly (19th overall in 2024) has yet to move.

10. New York Islanders (27-18-5, +5. PR: 8)

The Isles are looking to add, but may not have enough quality assets to move the needle. There may not be a big trade market for Maxim Shabanov or Maxim Tsyplakov, both of whom have been unable to make much of an impact.

11. Boston Bruins (28-20-2, +10. PR: 14)

Andrew Peeke could be an excellent rental. He’s a big, right-hand shot who’s dependable in his own zone and could easily fit on any contender’s third pairing.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-14-11, +12. PR: 16)

Put aside those Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin trade fantasies because they’re Penguins or die. That special status, however, doesn’t apply to Erik Karlsson, or even Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

13. Edmonton Oilers (25-18-8, +11. PR: 13)

The Oilers have made some very questionable moves, and that Trent Frederic contract is certainly regrettable. Even with a similar no-movement clause, Andrew Mangiapane figures the most likely to move considering his status as an impending UFA.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs (24-17-9, even. PR: 11)

Matias Maccelli is trade bait, but it’s unclear who will bite. The Leafs may need him now, but when William Nylander returns, he’ll most certainly get pushed out of the top six again.

15. Utah Mammoth (26-20-4, +19. PR: 20)

It’s going to be weird to see Nick Schmaltz not playing on the same team as Clayton Keller. There’s a chance the Mammoth overhaul their center depth, too, if they choose to move on from Barrett Hayton, who remains under team control as an RFA.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (23-17-9, -8. PR: 15)

Matvei Michkov? Just kidding, no way the Flyers move on from him now even if he’s struggling under Rick Tocchet. With Dan Vladar having a strong season, Samuel Ersson and Alexei Kolosov could provide depth – look, I didn’t say it was quality depth – for teams looking to acquire more goalies. Ersson and Kolosov are under team control as pending RFAs.

17. San Jose Sharks (25-21-3, -20. PR: 18)

The Sharks are more likely to add than subtract in anticipation of a playoff berth, but pick any of their numerous pending UFA defensemen. It seems superfluous to have John Klingberg and Timothy Liljegren.

18. Florida Panthers (25-20-3, -14. PR: 19)

In the past, the Panthers have traded picks for players, but they may mix up the look of their bottom six. Luke Kunin has fallen out of favor lately.

19. Anaheim Ducks (26-21-3, -11. PR: 27)

Ryan Strome can’t stay in the lineup, and he’s been leapfrogged by the team’s younger players. Pending UFA veteran defensemen Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas could also help any playoff team bolster their physical play.

20. Washington Capitals (24-21-6, +10. PR: 12)

The Caps are in a bit of a weird spot where they don’t want to trade prospects because the Ovechkin Era is coming to a close, and they will need to plan for the future. However, should they want to acquire a significant impact player, Ivan Miroshnichenko or Andrew Cristall would likely be the ask.

21. Ottawa Senators (23-19-7, -1. PR: 21)

David Perron is a respected veteran, which makes the Senator a solid addition for any team. He’s still got some offensive pop and could be a solid addition for a playoff team looking to improve its bottom-six depth. But he’s out with an injury.

22. New Jersey Devils (26-22-2, -20. PR: 26)

Dougie Hamilton is drawing in and out of the lineup, but clearly his days in the marsh are numbered. There’s always a market for a right-handed defenseman who can skate and pass, but the Devils may need to wait until the offseason to extricate themselves from their cap hell before they can move forward. How they recover from missing out on Quinn Hughes will be interesting to see.

23. Seattle Kraken (22-18-9, -11. PR: 17)

Shane Wright, really? For a team that eschewed Vegas’ method of going after the big names via trade and instead choosing to build through the draft – I think that was the strategy – waving the white flag this early on Wright is not a good sign. Several seasons into their existence, it’s still tough to say exactly what the Kraken’s plan really is.

24. Los Angeles Kings (20-16-13, -10. PR: 22)

Can the Kings entice anyone to take either Cody Ceci or Brian Dumoulin, who are unsurprisingly horrible contracts?

25. Columbus Blue Jackets (22-20-7, -15. PR: 25)

There’s a bit of malaise when it comes to the Jackets, and perhaps that’s why Rick Bowness was brought in. But it may take trading captain Boone Jenner to really usher in a new chapter.

26. Nashville Predators (23-22-4, -25. PR: 24)

Steven Stamkos is the most obvious name, but he’s turned it around and still remains a very productive offensive player. The Preds are likely more interested in moving on from Jonathan Marchessault, who’s signed to a contract that’s one year longer.

27. Calgary Flames (21-24-5, -21. PR: 28)

The next most in-demand veteran after Andersson has to be Nazem Kadri, a veteran center with a Cup ring. The problem is Kadri still has three more seasons left on his deal.

28. Chicago Blackhawks (20-22-7, -19. PR: 23)

The Hawks are a little starved on offense, so there’s little sense in trading Tyler Bertuzzi, who brings the focus to their blueline instead. Connor Murphy has ceded minutes to his younger teammates but remains a reliable third-pairing defenseman.

29. Winnipeg Jets (20-23-6, -4. PR: 31)

There are probably no takers for either Gustav Nyquist or Tanner Pearson, and Jonathan Toews seems unlikely to move unless he wants another run at the Cup. Could the Jets dangle Cole Perfetti, who hasn’t capitalized on a contract year, or prospect Brad Lambert for immediate veteran help for next season?

30. New York Rangers (21-24-6, -21. PR: 30)

It’s a little curious the Rangers so blatantly revealed they weren’t offering Artemi Panarin a contract, putting them into a position with even less leverage than before by making their intentions known.

31. St. Louis Blues (19-23-8, -50. PR: 29)

It’s believed the Blues have been trying to move Jordan Kyrou, and they’ll likely do so again. Trade talk involving Robert Thomas seems incredulous because top-tier playmaking centers like him are the type of players you build around, not dangle as trade bait. Another name just to watch: Jordan Binnington, especially if he shows poorly at the Olympics.

32. Vancouver Canucks (17-28-5, -50. PR: 32)

Pick a name because the Canucks are listening – as they should – but the most intriguing is definitely Elias Pettersson. Can he still be a two-way, 100-point center? That’s one of the questions the Canucks have to ask themselves, too.

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Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball will have to endure the remainder of their season without their senior second-leading scorer Chisom Okpara.

The school announced that Okpara suffered a lower extremity injury during the 70-55 loss to Virginia on Jan. 10 and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

The senior forward averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 17 games.

Okpara posted a statement to his Instagram account that led with a Bible verse from Proverbs.

‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart,’ Okpara’s post read.

As his post continued, he said that his surgery went ‘smoothly’ and he’s focused on a full recovery.

‘During our game against UVA on Jan. 10th, I sustained a significant patellar tendon tear. I’m happy to report that surgery yesterday went smoothly and I am focused on a full recovery,’ Okpara wrote.

He added: ‘I’m stepping away from the court for now to prioritize my health. While this isn’t how I envisioned the season playing out, I am eternally grateful to Coach Smith and the entire coaching staff for their mentorship over the last two seasons. To my teammates, I’m rooting for you all the way to the top! Huge thanks to Dr. Marc Safran, the Stanford Medicine team and my family for their unwavering support. The future is bright. Glory to God! Go Cardinal!’

Stanford has an overall record of 14-5 and are .500 in ACC games at 3-3. They’ve got two wins over ranked opponents, North Carolina and Louisville.

Their next game is 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) Saturday against Cal at Maples Pavilion in Stanford.